Outcome & Impact

The outcomes related to the action are as follows:

1. To create awareness among SMEs, local farmers and women and young entrepreneurs on the business opportunities in the extraction and processing of natural fibres.

2. To understand the requirements of the stakeholders, by having focused group discussions with representatives from the manufacturing and various economic sectors on specific green functional products with a view to replacing petroleum-based plastics;

3. To increase the number of trainers in the local community, who would further disseminate the opportunities in the use of natural fibres as raw materials, and at the same time catalyse the engagement of SMEs/local farmers/clusters/cooperative associations, vulnerable groups, women and youth associations as well as entrepreneurs in this new venture of the extraction of agro-waste fibres and processing of the same;

4. To build climate change resilience capacity and enhanced know-how and skills for the local SMEs/farmers/clusters/cooperative associations to effectively use agro-wastes in order to produce a valuable source of renewable and sustainable raw materials to support the SMEs, handicraft and the manufacturing sectors;

5. To build capacity among SMEs/farmers/clusters/cooperative associations, vulnerable groups, women and youth associations and NGOs for developing high value eco-friendly products; and

6. To sustain the development of applied research at the Pole of Research on Natural Fibres and Bio-Composites at the University of Mauritius in order to help farmers and entrepreneurs through Research & Development to development new green functional products with strong potential for commercialisation.